Starch is a complex carbohydrate often found in the human diet. The structure of starch is glucose polymers linked by α-1,4 and α-1,6 glucosidic bonds. Amylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of starches into sugars. Amylases hydrolyze internal α-1,4-glucosidic linkages in starch, largely at random, to produce smaller molecular weight malto-dextrins. The breakdown of starch is important in the digestive system and commercially. Amylases are of considerable commercial value, being used in the initial stages (liquefaction) of starch processing; in wet corn milling; in alcohol production; as cleaning agents in detergent matrices; in the textile industry for starch desizing; in baking applications; in the beverage industry; in oilfields in drilling processes; in inking of recycled paper; and in animal feed.
Amylases are produced by a wide variety of microorganisms including Bacillus and Aspergillus, with most commercial amylases being produced from bacterial sources such as Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus subtilis, or Bacillus stearothermophilus. In recent years, the enzymes in commercial use have been those from Bacillus licheniformis because of their heat stability and performance, at least at neutral and mildly alkaline pHs.
Commercially, glucoamylases are used to further hydrolyze cornstarch, which has already been partially hydrolyzed with an alpha-amylase. The glucose produced in this reaction may then be converted to a mixture of glucose and fructose by a glucose isomerase enzyme. This mixture, or one enriched with fructose, is the high fructose corn syrup commercialized throughout the world. In general, starch to fructose processing consists of four steps: liquefaction of granular starch, saccharification of the liquefied starch into dextrose, purification, and isomerization to fructose. The object of a starch liquefaction process is to convert a concentrated suspension of starch polymer granules into a solution of soluble shorter chain length dextrins of low viscosity.
The most widely utilized glucoamylase is produced from the fungus Aspergillus niger. One of the problems with the commercial use of this enzyme is its relatively low thermostability. A number of other fungal glucoamylases have been reported, including Rizopus, Thielavia, Thermoascus and Talaromyces, and a glucoamylase from the thermophilic fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus. 
In general, starch to fructose processing consists of four steps: liquefaction of granular starch, saccharification of the liquefied starch into dextrose, purification, and isomerization to fructose. The object of a starch liquefaction process is to convert a concentrated suspension of starch polymer granules into a solution of soluble shorter chain length dextrins of low viscosity. This step is essential for convenient handling with standard equipment and for efficient conversion to glucose or other sugars. To liquefy granular starch, it is necessary to gelatinize the granules by raising the temperature of the granular starch to over about 72° C. The heating process instantaneously disrupts the insoluble starch granules-to produce a water soluble starch solution. The solubilized starch solution is then liquefied by amylase. A starch granule is composed of: 69-74% amylopectin, 26-31% amylose, 11-14% water, 0.2-0.4% protein, 0.5-0.9% lipid, 0.05-0.1% ash, 0.02-0.03% phosphorus, 0.1% pentosan. Approximately 70% of a granule is amorphous and 30% is crystalline.
A common enzymatic liquefaction process involves adjusting the pH of a granular starch slurry to between 6.0 and 6.5, the pH optimum of alpha-amylase derived from Bacillus licheniformis, with the addition of calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate. The addition of calcium hydroxide has the advantage of also providing calcium ions which are known to stabilize the alpha-amylase against inactivation. Upon addition of alpha-amylase, the suspension is pumped through a steam jet to instantaneously raise the temperature to between 80° C. to 115° C. The starch is immediately gelatinized and, due to the presence of alpha-amylase, depolymerized through random hydrolysis of a (1-4) glycosidic bonds by alpha-amylase to a fluid mass which is easily pumped.
In a second variation to the liquefaction process, alpha-amylase is added to the starch suspension, the suspension is held at a temperature of 80-100° C. to partially hydrolyze the starch granules, and the partially hydrolyzed starch suspension is pumped through a jet at temperatures in excess of about 105° C. to thoroughly gelatinize any remaining granular structure. After cooling the gelatinized starch, a second addition of alpha-amylase can be made to further hydrolyze the starch.
A third variation of this process is called the dry milling process. In dry milling, whole grain is ground and combined with water. The germ is optionally removed by flotation separation or equivalent techniques. The resulting mixture, which contains starch, fiber, protein and other components of the grain, is liquefied using alpha-amylase. The general practice in the art is to undertake enzymatic liquefaction at a lower temperature when using the dry milling process. Generally, low temperature liquefaction is believed to be less efficient than high temperature liquefaction in converting starch to soluble dextrins.
Typically, after gelatinization the starch solution is held at an elevated temperature in the presence of alpha-amylase until a DE of 10-20 is achieved, usually a period of 1-3 hours. Dextrose equivalent (DE) is the industry standard for measuring the concentration of total reducing sugars, calculated as D-glucose on a dry weight basis. Unhydrolyzed granular starch has a DE of virtually zero, whereas the DE of D-glucose is defined as 100.
Corn wet milling is a process which produces corn oil, gluten meal, gluten feed and starch. Alkaline-amylase is used in the liquefaction of starch and glucoamylase is used in saccharification, producing glucose. Corn, a kernel of which consists of a outer seed coat (fiber), starch, a combination of starch and glucose and the inner germ, is subjected to a four step process, which results in the production of starch. The corn is steeped, de-germed, de-fibered, and finally the gluten is separated. In the steeping process, the solubles are taken out. The product remaining after removal of the solubles is de-germed, resulting in production of corn oil and production of an oil cake, which is added to the solubles from the steeping step. The remaining product is de-fibered and the fiber solids are added to the oil cake/solubles mixture. This mixture of fiber solids, oil cake and solubles forms a gluten feed. After de-fibering, the remaining product is subjected to gluten separation. This separation results in a gluten meal and starch. The starch is then subjected to liquefaction and saccharification to produce glucose.
Staling of baked products (such as bread) has been recognized as a problem which becomes more serious as more time lies between the moment of preparation of the bread product and the moment of consumption. The term staling is used to describe changes undesirable to the consumer in the properties of the bread product after leaving the oven, such as an increase of the firmness of the crumb, a decrease of the elasticity of the crumb, and changes in the crust, which becomes tough and leathery. The firmness of the bread crumb increases further during storage up to a level, which is considered as negative. The increase in crumb firmness, which is considered as the most important aspect of staling, is recognized by the consumer a long time before the bread product has otherwise become unsuitable for consumption.
There is a need in the industry for the identification and optimization of amylases, useful for various uses, including commercial cornstarch liquefaction processes. These second generation acid amylases will offer improved manufacturing and/or performance characteristics over the industry standard enzymes from Bacillus licheniformis, for example.
There is also a need for the identification and optimization of amylases having utility in automatic dish wash (ADW) products and laundry detergent. In ADW products, the amylase will function at pH 10-11 and at 45-60° C. in the presence of calcium chelators and oxidative conditions. For laundry, activity at pH 9-10 and 40° C. in the appropriate detergent matrix will be required. Amylases are also useful in textile desizing, brewing processes, starch modification in the paper and pulp industry and other processes described in the art.
Amylases can be used commercially in the initial stages (liquefaction) of starch processing; in wet corn milling; in alcohol production; as cleaning agents in detergent matrices; in the textile industry for starch desizing; in baking applications; in the beverage industry; in oilfields in drilling processes; in inking of recycled paper and in animal feed. Amylases are also useful in textile desizing, brewing processes, starch modification in the paper and pulp industry and other processes.
The publications discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.